A piezoelectric element is a crystalline material which produces an electric voltage when subjected to mechanical pressure. In view of their various properties, piezoelectric elements have been used as actuators in diaphragm displacement pumps. In general, piezoelectric actuators of the type used in pumps require excitation by a regularly reversing high-voltage field. Depending on the application, the excitation voltage may be anywhere from 25 to 1000 volts or more and the frequency of field reversal may be anywhere from a fraction of a cycle per second to thousands of cycles per second. Typically, this excitation signal must be derived from a relatively low-voltage source of 1.5-25 volts. See e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,287,965 B2, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
It would be useful to be able to provide methods and systems for applying charge to piezoelectric elements/devices that are more energy efficient. It would be useful to be able to improve energy utilization by a piezoelectric pump or device.